Child Internet safety forum comes to Stamford

Keeping Connecticut kids safe from Internet predators topped the agenda Monday at a gathering of law enforcement officials.

Dozens of prosecutors and police officers met at Stamford Superior Court. Detective Sgt. Kris Carlson, of the Burlington, Vt. Police Department, spoke to people in attendance. He's part of the national Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

According to Carlson, 65 percent of reported crimes against children originate in chat rooms. He suggests parents visit MySpace.com, which is popular among youths. It's the second most-visited Web site behind eBay.

Connecticut officials listened, but said the money to police the Internet full-time just isn't in their budget.

"We started doing these cases ? part-time about a year ago," said Senior Assistant State's Attorney Richard Colangelo. "In a year, we probably worked an hour a week. We made 12, 13 arrests. So, it's a huge problem.